A BILL to amend and reenact §30-14-3 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to increasing the membership of the
West Virginia Board of Osteopathy by adding an additional
licensed osteopathic physician and a licensed osteopathic
physician assistant.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §30-14-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 14. OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.

§30-14-3. Board of osteopathy.

There shall beis a board of osteopathy, known as the "West
Virginia Board of Osteopathy" composed of fiveseven members.
ThreeFour of the members shall be licensed osteopathic physicians
and surgeons. These members shall be appointed by the Governor by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate from a list of sixtwo or more names per member position as recommended by the West
Virginia Osteopathic Society, IncorporatedMedical Association.
One of the members shall be a licensed osteopathic physician
assistant. This member shall be appointed by the Governor by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate from list of two or more
names recommended by the West Virginia Association of Physician
Assistants. Each such member of the board shallof these members
must have been a resident of and engaged in the practice of his or
her profession in this state for a period of at least five years
immediately preceding his or her appointment. The layTwo citizen
members of the board shall be appointed by the Governor by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate.

The members of the board shall be appointed for a term of
office of three years. The members of the board in office on the
effective date this article takes effectof the amendment made to
this section during the 2012 regular session of the Legislature
shall, unless sooner removed, continue to serve until their
respective terms expire and until their successors have been
appointed and have qualified. Within sixty days of the effective
date of the amendment made to this section during the 2012 regular
session of the Legislature the Governor shall appoint the two
additional members provided by the amendment. On or before July 1,
of each year, the Governor shall appoint one member to serve for a
term of three years commencing on said first day of July 1; and any
member shall beis eligible for reappointment. When a vacancy in
the membership of the board occurs for any cause other than the
expiration of a term, the Governor shall appoint a successor as a
member of the board to fill the unexpired portion of the term of
office of the member whose office has been vacated.

Each member of the board, excluding laycitizen members, shall
take, in addition to the oath of office provided for in article IV,
section 5 of the Constitution of this state, an oath that he or she
has been engaged in the practice of his or her profession in this
state for at least five years immediately preceding his or her
appointment.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to enhance the licensure and
regulatory ability of the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy to
appropriately fulfill its statutory responsibility. The bill
increases the membership of the board by adding an additional
licensed osteopathic physician and a licensed osteopathic physician
assistant,

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.